Xenosaga Unlimited Working Title
by Socran
Summary: A crew of space pirates just barely escapes from a doomed planet. However, their latest heist has gained the attention of the UTIC organization. A newly conceived fanfic that may go in any direction, hence the placeholder name. Now with a database!
1. Database

Rather than constantly deleting and re-uploading after every chapter, the first page of the fanfic will be the database. For those who haven't played Xenosaga Episode I (what are you doing here?), the database is where you can find information and definitions pertaining to the story. Like in the game, new topics will be updated as you progress through the story (meaning when new chapters are uploaded). To avoid spoilers, it's recommended that you read the story so far before checking the database.

Entries with (XS) in them are taken at least partially from the Xenosaga Episode I database.

Ariadne: (XS) A planetary member of the Galaxy Federation which vanished during the Zohar emulator experiment. It had a population of approximately 1.5 billion. An experimental laboratory owned by the U-TIC Organization was located here. (Author's note: In this story, a Gnosis attack occurred between the start of the experiment and the disappearance of the planet. However, since communications were lost when the experiment began, the Federation assumed that was when it disappeared.)

Balmung: A Lohengrin-class spaceship modified with various combat features. In mythology, Balmung was the sword of Siegfried.

Ether: (XS) Short for "Especial Theory of Rudimentary". A generic term to denote various types of special powers. It encompasses everything from paranormal abilities, to medical treatments using nanomachines, as well as the ability to control spatial dimensions using transference technology. In real life, "ether" is a hypothetical medium with special light conductive characteristics, which is believed to fill air and space.

Ethereal Form: A form in which something is not a part of the physical dimension. When a Gnosis is in its ethereal form, it can pass through walls and is immune to almost all manner of attack.

Gnosis: (XS) Entities shrouded in mystery, of which the only known attribute is their hostility toward mankind. Gnosis exist in a unique dimension, separate from the physical plane. Therefore it is normally impossible to make contact with them. Due to the variations in external appearance, the standard practice is to name them after mythical creatures.

Jump: A simple word for going from one place to another through hyperspace.

Ryan Schopenhauer: A young man who has a kind heart underneath his pompous exterior. He wields a rapier, but is most skilled in attack-based ether spells. Since his ether can harm Gnosis in their ethereal form, it most likely doesn't rely on nanomachines or transference technology.

"Securing our exit.": If the Balmung were to collide with a Gnosis during the escape, it would pass through the ship and possibly one of the crew members at an incredible speed. For a good idea of what this might look like, watch "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within".

…the perfect cover for my job…: The fact that it's easier to do during a mass panic suggests that the protagonist's job is hardly legal.

…turning into salt, or calcium…: A phenomenon known as the whitening, where a person touched by Gnosis turns completely white and collapses into dust.


	2. Prologue

I ran as fast as I could. I ran and I ran, and I cursed myself for not running sooner. When they first attacked, I thought it would be the perfect cover to do my job. But when I left the building, I saw that it wasn't just a chance encounter with some roaming Gnosis. The entire planet was completely overrun, and the city seemed to have it the worst. Everywhere I looked, people were turning to salt, or calcium dust, or whatever it was these monsters did, so I eventually stopped looking and just kept running. There was only one person who wasn't screaming, a little girl who stood right in my path and stared in terror at something I didn't take the time to see. I scooped her up and kept running, desperately hoping that my ship hadn't left without me, or worse, been destroyed. She clutched my shoulder painfully, and I knew that several Gnosis had decided to give chase. I broke into a full sprint, not once thinking to drop the girl, and eventually burst through the doors to the dock. As I had feared, the waiting room was full of Gnosis, but I held onto my hope and went to the hangar where my ship, the Balmung, was still waiting for me. I leapt inside just as the door slid open, and proceeded to the cockpit after putting the girl down. "We've gotta leave, now! Wait, where's Ryan?" The captain quickly responded. "He's securing our exit." I ran back to the entrance, where the girl was looking outside with the same quiet terror as ever. Two Gnosis were about to make their way inside. "Ether drive, ignite!" A flame burst from the ground beneath the Gnosis, and though they were in their ethereal form, they writhed inside the fire and died. Behind them, a young man stood with his palm on the ground. He jumped inside and I slammed the button to close the door. We both headed to the cockpit, where the captain gave the order to launch. "Get us the hell outta here!" We all braced ourselves as the pilot put the ship straight into the highest gear, and we rocketed off the surface of the planet. Down below, a bright light could be seen passing over the planet. The light got brighter, and began to expand outward of the planet, almost as though it were trying to engulf us. The pilot seemed to get the same vibe from that light, as he put everything the ship had into getting out of there as fast as possible. Eventually, the light stopped expanding and we were able to slow to a crawl. We breathed a sigh of relief, and the captain walked over to the window. "Holy hell!" We all ran over to see what the captain had seen. I couldn't believe my eyes. "It… It's huge! Did that Gnosis devour Ariadne?" Without answering my question, the captain turned and yelled at the pilot. "Jump! Jump, dammit!" And so we jumped.


End file.
